Nice! 53 eh? I'll tell you ahead of time... It's all downhill from there! (Just Kidding but lately I feel that way) I have an appointment with Rothman (supposedly the best ortho in the East) tomorrow I have a pinched nerve somewhere causing numbness and pain down my right arm almost constantly (feels like I hit my funny bone) only time it doesn't bother me is working or on the bike:huh guess I need to ride all the time
I rode all of the Granogue sections today. Should be lots of FUN! I'll be checking section 6 - make sure to say hi.
I can tell you are needing to work up and get muscles, if that means anything, from your movie. your 1st 2 turns, looked ok, then I saw and see that Lineaway already pointed it out to you. I want to re conclude that your Butt being shoved out there instead of you flexing your knees out there more like the TTC video, will hurt you litterally and 'trials score' wise, if for NOT ANY OTHER REASON, you will bang you knees into the tank, and it takes longer than you think to move your ass from left turn position to right turn. In trials we test you on that ability without even working on a section, if you know what I mean. Tt just "is" what you better be able to do ASAP. I took my newby out this weekend, he's owned the bike less than 3 weeks now, part of that was waiting for us, rebuilding the clutch (changed the belville srping to the lighter 06 and up version. Anyway, he found out that I was NOT kidding, that Trials is about the ability to turn, you will turn both ways sometimes more than once, in a distance less than 6ft, in fact his one "hard" thing the first loop was, a section where he had to weave around 4 trees just "starting into" the section. Get ahold of that video we've argued about on TTC, watch it, then try to make yourself think you are doing it that way, when you think you are, you won't be... you might feel like you are, but you wont be... (at least as a beginner) but you will be headed in the right direction. In other words, "your ass doesn't go there" lol. your knees need to and your weight should, but your ass doesnt hang out there like that. Now I only took time to watch 2 minutes or less, right now I can check later.
Wayne - don't let the turning critique make you think that you aren't ready for this weekend. Every trials rider starts out done it wrong to some degree. 99% of trials riders are still doing stuff wrong - no matter how long they've been doing it. It can take a long time to make "the right way" be natural - perfectly normal. At least that's what they tell me - I still have to remind myself all the time to bend my legs and get my knees out. The 4 line (beginner) sections this weekend will take points from you, but you shouldn't feel in any danger. Watching your video, it looks like you'll be quite comfortable on that line. You'll see small climbs, mildly rocky and muddy stream beds (rocks=traction), slick turns and a couple of small (ride right over sized) logs. And turns, in each of those situations. That's where the points will come...
Yes thanks Moto Junky, I didnt mean to imply he cant try, I just answered the query about his video, even though i didnt get to watch it all... Give em hell, Wayne
Thanks guys I appreciate the critique and do really need to get more peg time than I actually an able to get now. I'll take this weekend as a baseline starting point and work at it over the Winter to see how much I can improve by the time the Springtime meets roll around.
Mud, water and rocks are not a problem... This is a larger version of my avatar... About a 1/4 mile of trail flooded by a beaver dam with softball size rocks under the muddy water the whole way rode it with my feet on the pegs and no dabs much to the dismay of the Quad riders I was with who were playing let's see if we can get the two wheeler stuck all day. Another muddy rutted trail that I cleaned I'm thinking that if I can do this on a 350# Dual Sport riding a 200# trials bike should be a breeze. (I know that statement is going to come back to haunt me)
You will be a natural, I think trials will be a perfect fit if you like challenges that aren't based on speed parts. It is hard (for me at least) to convey nuances over the forums... You need to get yourself that at least semi Local "buddy" that rides trials WELL, and will make sure you work on techniques "right". I have seen it too often; send a guy home with notes on what to practice. They come out the following weekend, having drilled themselves for hours, BUT DOING IT ALL WRONG. which can be worse than not knowing how to do some basics. lol.
I also mess a bit with my TY 175 ... Never had some lessons. Soon I can bring some hours with someone to learn the basics. If that happened, I will create such a "turn" movie and post it here. But after all (or after the basics you will), everyone has to find his/here own style. The hardest thing is driving slowly. I usually still ride too fast. I still can not make a surplace.
My ulterior motive is to get the guys at Granogue to come over to Jersey to do their practice I have 14 acres of mostly pasture but at the back is an acre or two of woods with brush that once I see a proper loop I intend to cut some loops at home for practice. Maybe get someone to come over and possibly bring a meet to South Jersey
In! I'm always up for riding someplace new. There's one guy in our club from NJ who I suspect would like a shorter trip to ride. It would be tough to get 8 good sections into a couple of acres of woods, but it could be done. Several of the events on the MAVT schedule are at riders homes. If you build it, they will come! By the way, I was going to PM you but since I'm already typing... if you can get to Granogue early on Sunday, I should be able to take you to a section or two to give you an idea of how it all works.
Don't listen to Sting32.......how could he know how to ride trials anyway.......we all know Kansas is flat prairie land
Never let any Pro, seasoned person, expert, etc. dissuade me in any endeavors... Used to golf with some friends and after a few rounds of them telling me my form was all wrong ,etc, etc. ( I hold/ swing the club like a baseball bat) but still being able to hit the ball farther and as accurately as them they quit asking me to join them. (The noob kicked their buts and didn't have to buy drinks.) More than one way to skin a cat I say.
SnoDrtRider..... Sting32 is giving good riding technique advice......I was just trying to get him riled up I understand Sting32's desire to hammer home the basics and 'boot camp' training mentality. A person can pick up some bad habits that would hamper a person's ability to progress as time goes on. I competed in trials for about three years and can remember that I concentrated on practicing balance and turns the most. I would go in my garage, turn on the radio, and balance the bike not running and count the number of songs on the radio I could listen to without dabbing. (Boring I know....but effective.....and I could do it after the sun goes down). I can also remember riding as a Novice in Sting32's local club grounds and this one section had a simple flat turn....but the ground was covered with chunks of old bricks. Because of my lack of turning skills I fived that section all three loops on those bricks as I rode wide and crossed the tape. All I would have had to do was take a single dab to help make a tighter turn or pull the bike around, but noooo I wanted to clean it, but I didn't have the skill set yet. The main thing is to have fun.....for me the fun was learning and getting better. The skills learned will make a person better in all forms of riding, be it street or dirt. I am a believer in that. Steve
... and even a blind sow will find an acorn once in awhile. the problem is you can talk about those one in a millions, or the people that can make gold out of straw, but 99.9% of us mere humans, won't. This is why when I teach or speak I am trying to come from the perspective of "average" rider. I am AVERAGE, I was never a pro, never made it to "master class" so I leave all of those advanced stuff I haven't mastered to those who have. Plus, It does little to tell you about a student I had, that was above the rest in bicycle trials, before beginning to ride moto trails, and how differently we could approach the basics. now if someone gets on the board here and asks, I could probably give my experiences (from teacher side, but it didnt last very long either), but it would be more likely in PM so not to confuse the "normal riders" not because I don't think the normal riders wouldn't like to know, but I sure as hell am not going to let AMCROSS or people like that, get confused with unusual circumstances....
LOL yeah, well that is Wing Trails Group's "class winning techniques" lessons that we've never discussed online, lol... "ONE IN TIME SAVES FIVE" was our motto and almost got printed on T-Shirts back in the day... and has actually been my motto since before 1976, but in 76 I was finally old enough to "get it and what it means instead of just saying it because it sounds right." The nice thing is, ONE something, be it a dab, a hop, or hitting the bigger one obstacle or harder lead up line, all fits the motto as well... (oops did I let that cat out?) I also love to re-tell this story, of my best trials of my life, in 82... For many years my dad, the person that if you DON'T golf with, saves you 4 strokes off your golf game, always joked with me in the cab of the pickup and around the campfires, "Mitchy, when I get older, and you have to wheel me out in my wheelchair, to my poor ol Bultaco, Ill still beat your ass {at trials}..." I was 17 when I finally beat his score, heads up... Next time you think KS is too flat, come on over we'll ride...
